Equivalent of 38,000 NSW retail jobs on the line: Morrison's Christmas JobSeeker snapback
The equivalent of 130,000 Australian retail jobs are on the line if Scott Morrison returns the rate of the JobSeeker payment to its old base rate – including over 38,000 here in New South Wales.
The Coronavirus supplement – currently received by over 2.2 million Australians on working-age payments – is scheduled to end in December.
The JobSeeker and other working age payments will return to its old base rate of $40 per day.
It has been estimated that out-of-work Australians will spend $326.9 million per fortnight from their Coronavirus supplement from September, based on data on the spending habits of social security recipients.
This is the equivalent of ripping $8.5 billion from the Australian retail sector in a year.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its Average Weekly Earnings figures for May on Thursday, which shows the average full time retail adult worker earns $2,519.60 per fortnight.*
This means that the estimated $326.9 million hit to the retail sector from Scott Morrison’s scheduled JobSeeker snapback is the equivalent of over 129,700 jobs in the Australian retail sector.
This includes over 38,000 retail jobs in New South Wales.
The retail sector employs an estimated 1.18 million Australians – or one in ten Australian workers.**
The Australian retail workforce contracted by 108,000 jobs, down from 1.29 million workers in the same period last year.**
It’s going to be a very difficult, uncertain and anxious Christmas for millions of Australians.
Scott Morrison could deliver them some certainty by announcing a permanent increase to JobSeeker.
Scott Morrison’s scheduled Christmas JobSeeker snapback threatens the livelihoods of thousands of Australian workers in our retail sector, as well as placing millions of Australians at risk of poverty and hardship.
It threatens the viability of thousands of small and medium business enterprises.
*Australian Bureau of Statistics - 6302.0 - Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2020
**Australian Bureau of Statistics - 6291.0.55.003 - Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, May 2020
LINDA BURNEY
MEDIA RELEASE - SATURDAY, 15 AUGUST 2020